What Not to Say To Your Recruiter

Posted: 23/03/2015 by
Cox Purtell

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string(4765) "Who better to write a little tongue in cheek blog than the person who is leaving industry for 3 months to swan around Europe on her honeymoon? No one that’s who!
I was rudely interrupted from my day job with the news that it was my turn to write a blog for the our website, and after an interesting week (as always) in recruitment I thought it might be good to throw a few pointers out there of what NOT to tell your recruitment consultant.
Now I am one for acting in the name of honesty, integrity and respect, and I am a terrible liar, but there are definitely some things you should keep to yourself, whether you are a client, or a candidate.
Clients

Do not, I repeat do not, tell us in meetings how inundated you are by agency calls and how terrible and pestering recruiters are. This has happened to me on a number of occasions, and it is awk-ward. It is, after all, how I got the meeting with you! I appreciate that in our insanely competitive industry, HR and recruitment specialists are overloaded with agency calls, and how frustrating that is. But know your audience, we are people too!

Do not, ask to see resumes before agreeing terms to see 'what we have'. As busy people too who only make money by filling the roles we bring on, we cannot work in an environment that is not committed to a successful outcome. You wouldn't take a car for a week to try it out before signing your contract, or live in apartment to see how it fits without signing your lease. It should be no different. Commit to the process and we WILL provide you with the quality that you are looking for.

Don't tell us that the candidate is the wrong fit, but provide us with no further information as to why. We might not always get it right first time, but with open and honest feedback, we can get back to the drawing board and find the right person. If we have no feedback around the candidates we are sending, how can you expect us to get right? We want a successful outcome as much as you do!

Please do not over share! I aim to build strong relationships with my clients, but I am not a relationship counsellor, or the office gossip for you to have a natter with. It’s important to know that we can respect each other’s position, build a strong relationship and be able to work together professionally, rather than off the back of a gossip session over coffee which only breeds further negativity. One of my key clients and I catch up for coffee, we talk about her upcoming maternity leave and my wedding, but I have never heard her say a negative word about her business, or the people in it. It’s important to maintain your brand, whoever you are talking to.

Candidates

Same as client point 1. Please please don’t sit in interview and tell us how awful recruiters are. That's all that needs to be said on this one. Please, just don't. I am one.

Do not tell your consultant that you are happy to drop out of your temp role with another agency, to take their role. We need loyal and reliable temp staff who do what they say that are going to do. It doesn’t create the best impression if you have made a commitment to someone, and nonchalantly break that. If you do that to them, you may do it to us, and that is a risk we cannot take, given how hard we work to maintain a happy client base.

Do not add your consultant on Facebook. This should go without saying. It should. But it happens. Regularly.

Do not ask your consultant why they are checking in with you when they have no roles to talk to you about. We have a candidate care policy at CP that we stick to rigidly. If we check in, its because we care! We can't always be in control of the roles we have on our desk, but if we are in touch, then rest assured if its right, we will have you front of mind.

With all this in mind, let's all just be a little kinder and a little less honest in some situations. It is up to you to maintain your personal/professional brand, and you never know when you might need to call on a recruiter to assist you…make sure you haven’t damaged those relationships before they have even begun.
Cox Purtell Recruitment Agency Blog / Sydney / Melbourne / Adelaide"
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Who better to write a little tongue in cheek blog than the person who is leaving industry for 3 months to swan around Europe on her honeymoon? No one that’s who!

I was rudely interrupted from my day job with the news that it was my turn to write a blog for the our website, and after an interesting week (as always) in recruitment I thought it might be good to throw a few pointers out there of what NOT to tell your recruitment consultant.

Now I am one for acting in the name of honesty, integrity and respect, and I am a terrible liar, but there are definitely some things you should keep to yourself, whether you are a client, or a candidate.

Clients

Do not, I repeat do not, tell us in meetings how inundated you are by agency calls and how terrible and pestering recruiters are. This has happened to me on a number of occasions, and it is awk-ward. It is, after all, how I got the meeting with you! I appreciate that in our insanely competitive industry, HR and recruitment specialists are overloaded with agency calls, and how frustrating that is. But know your audience, we are people too!

Do not, ask to see resumes before agreeing terms to see ‘what we have’. As busy people too who only make money by filling the roles we bring on, we cannot work in an environment that is not committed to a successful outcome. You wouldn’t take a car for a week to try it out before signing your contract, or live in apartment to see how it fits without signing your lease. It should be no different. Commit to the process and we WILL provide you with the quality that you are looking for.

Don’t tell us that the candidate is the wrong fit, but provide us with no further information as to why. We might not always get it right first time, but with open and honest feedback, we can get back to the drawing board and find the right person. If we have no feedback around the candidates we are sending, how can you expect us to get right? We want a successful outcome as much as you do!

Please do not over share! I aim to build strong relationships with my clients, but I am not a relationship counsellor, or the office gossip for you to have a natter with. It’s important to know that we can respect each other’s position, build a strong relationship and be able to work together professionally, rather than off the back of a gossip session over coffee which only breeds further negativity. One of my key clients and I catch up for coffee, we talk about her upcoming maternity leave and my wedding, but I have never heard her say a negative word about her business, or the people in it. It’s important to maintain your brand, whoever you are talking to.

Candidates

Same as client point 1. Please please don’t sit in interview and tell us how awful recruiters are. That’s all that needs to be said on this one. Please, just don’t. I am one.

Do not tell your consultant that you are happy to drop out of your temp role with another agency, to take their role. We need loyal and reliable temp staff who do what they say that are going to do. It doesn’t create the best impression if you have made a commitment to someone, and nonchalantly break that. If you do that to them, you may do it to us, and that is a risk we cannot take, given how hard we work to maintain a happy client base.

Do not add your consultant on Facebook. This should go without saying. It should. But it happens. Regularly.

Do not ask your consultant why they are checking in with you when they have no roles to talk to you about. We have a candidate care policy at CP that we stick to rigidly. If we check in, its because we care! We can’t always be in control of the roles we have on our desk, but if we are in touch, then rest assured if its right, we will have you front of mind.

With all this in mind, let’s all just be a little kinder and a little less honest in some situations. It is up to you to maintain your personal/professional brand, and you never know when you might need to call on a recruiter to assist you…make sure you haven’t damaged those relationships before they have even begun.